Re Humira Royalties

Cambridge Antibody Tech Group PLC
14 October 2003



03/CAT/27

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1530 BST, 1030 EST 14 October 2003


For further information contact:          
Cambridge Antibody Technology            Weber Shandwick Square Mile (Europe)
Tel: [phone]                Tel: [phone]
Peter Chambre, Chief Executive Officer   Kevin Smith
John Aston, Chief Financial Officer      Rachel Lankester  
Rowena Gardner, Director of Corporate
Communications                           BMC Communications/The Trout Group (USA)
                                         Tel: [phone]
                                         Brad Miles, ext 17 (media)
                                         Brandon Lewis, ext 15 (investors)

                                     
CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY TECHNOLOGY RECEIVES FIRST PAYMENT OF HUMIRA(R) ROYALTIES FROM
ABBOTT LABORATORIES

Cambridge, UK ... Cambridge Antibody Technology (LSE:CAT; NASDAQ:CATG) today
announces that it has received the first payment of royalties on sales of HUMIRA
(R) from Abbott Laboratories. The payment represents Abbott's calculation of the
royalties due to CAT on HUMIRA sales in the six month period ended 30 June 2003.

In March 2003 CAT announced that it was in potential dispute with Abbott over
the level of royalties payable in respect of HUMIRA. This related to the
applicability of certain royalty offset provisions in the licence agreement,
dated 1 April 1995, between Cambridge Antibody Technology Limited and Knoll
Aktiengesellschaft (subsequently acquired by Abbott Laboratories).

In making this payment to CAT, Abbott has sought to offset royalties payable to
other licensors against the payment to CAT and has paid royalties at the minimum
level described in the licence agreement. CAT strongly believes Abbott's
interpretation of the agreement is incorrect. CAT is seeking an outcome
consistent with its position.

CAT and Abbott have now commenced a formal dispute resolution procedure. A
further announcement will be made when appropriate.

                                     -ENDS-

Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT):

 • CAT is a UK-based biotechnology company using its proprietary
   technologies and capabilities in human monoclonal antibodies for drug
   discovery and drug development. Based near Cambridge, England, CAT currently
   employs around 290 people.
 • CAT is a leader in the discovery and development of human therapeutic
   antibodies and has an advanced proprietary platform technology for rapidly
   isolating human monoclonal antibodies using phage display and ribosome
   display systems. CAT has extensive phage antibody libraries, currently
   incorporating more than 100 billion distinct antibodies. These libraries
   form the basis for the Company's strategy to develop a portfolio of
   antibody-based drugs.
 • HUMIRA, the leading CAT-derived antibody, isolated and optimised in
   collaboration with Abbott has been approved by the US Food and Drug
   Administration for marketing in the US and by the European Commission for
   marketing in the EU as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
 • Eight further CAT-derived human therapeutic antibodies are at various
   stages of clinical trials. There are five candidate therapeutic antibodies
   in pre-clinical development.
 • CAT has alliances with a number of pharmaceutical and biotechnology
   companies to discover, develop and commercialise human monoclonal
   antibody-based products. CAT has co-development programmes with Amgen,
   Amrad, Elan and Genzyme.
 • CAT has also licensed its proprietary technologies to several companies.
   CAT's licensees include: Abbott, Amgen, Chugai, Human Genome Sciences, Merck
   & Co, Pfizer and Wyeth Research.
 • CAT is listed on the London Stock Exchange and on NASDAQ since June
   2001. CAT raised £41m in its IPO in March 1997 and £93m in a secondary
   offering in March 2000.

Application of the Safe Harbor of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995: This press release contains statements about Cambridge Antibody
Technology Group plc ("CAT") that are forward looking statements. All statements
other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may be
forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. These forward looking statements are based on numerous
assumptions regarding the company's present and future business strategies and
the environment in which the company will operate in the future. Certain factors
that could cause the company's actual results, performance or achievements to
differ materially from those in the forward looking statements include: market
conditions, CAT's ability to enter into and maintain collaborative arrangements,
success of product candidates in clinical trials, regulatory developments and
competition. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on the forward
looking statements contained in this press release. These statements speak only
as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to update
or revise the statements.




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